ICE Director Says Immigrants, Not Law Enforcement, Break Up Families

For example, after Jeanette Vizguerra entered sanctuary in February (she left sanctuary in April), immigration activists received several calls of suspected ICE activity in Aurora, Greeley and Pueblo.

ICE said as the investigation is ongoing, no further information will be released at this time.

Fear and misinformation can easily spread through the community, she said.

It's called the Colorado Rapid Response Network and it acts like a 24 hour emergency line.

The rapid response network will be staffed entirely by volunteers, all of whom undergo careful training, particularly the legal observers.

Organizations supporting the Colorado Rapid Response Network include Padres & Jóvenes Unidos, the Colorado Immirant Rights Coalition, Mi Familia Vota, the Colorado People's Alliance, Together Colorado, FRESC, the American Friends Service Committe, United for a New Economy and the SEIU Local 105. He said the hotline would be used to verify future reports and document any ICE activity in Colorado. He appeared for yet another scheduled check-in with ICE, as they requested. "As activists, we knew we had to be able to document what was actually going on so we could say with truth whether enforcement was increasing".

Dispatchers won't give people legal advice over the phone, but Hernandez said they'd inform callers of their basic rights.

"So we want folks to call if they see that ICE is [at the courthouse], so we can send folks to document it and use that to fight against these unjust deportations", Hernandez said.

On Tuesday, Thomas Homan, director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, said undocumented immigrants, not law enforcement apprehending and deporting them, are responsible for breaking up their own families. Rumors of ICE checkpoints and sweeps are risky and irresponsible. "Any groups falsely reporting such activities are doing a disservice to those they claim to support".